Boris Awume, Entrepreneur from Togo

Boris Awume is our most recent early adopter. He is an entrepreneurially-minded Togolese working in Switzerland but excited to make new things possible in his homecountry. Starting at the end of this month, Boris and his team are going to build the Sol4 model to test it’s merits in Lomé, Togo.

Boris Awume testing out the reflecting of sunlight with a GoSol.org mirror.

Last week I met Boris personally when he came to visit me on my farm to have a first-hand look at some of the Sol4 components.

My aim has always been to enable income-generating activities. In the villages there is not much to do apart from agriculture. Though work is hard and we’re growing a lot of foods like yam, cassava, maize, rice, and cafe and cacao, we’re not able to afford much and develop our communities well. When I found out about GoSol.org I immediately though, here I can drive a lot of new activity.

Boris Awume, Togo

A few years back Boris invested in a small transportation business. "After the colonialists left they had first built and then again destroyed parts of a railway system. The bad transportation infrastructure is not only affecting our country but making it difficult for things to get to land-locked neighbors like Burkina Faso. As an entrepreneur I try to both improve my country and create new business opportunities."

Boris left his country during political unrest and found refuge in Switzerland. He currently works and pursues an education in the IT sector. Last week Boris came to visit me at my farm not far from where he lives, and I got to show him some parts of the Sol4 design he’s planning to build in Togo.

I’m not going there to ’try something’, I’m going there to see what’s possible.

Boris Awume, Togo

Two days after our meeting I heard back from Boris that his local partner in Lomé already scouted all the materials needed and that the cost expectations for the mirrors are even lower than those we experienced in Haiti.

As early adopter Boris has access to the construction guides that include the expected budget for different countries, material list and the fabrication steps. Especially the material list helps Boris and his local partner now to get materials organized and line everything up before Boris gets to Lomé at the end of the month. Stay tuned.